Saint-Nectaire Church 
View of Saint-Nectaire Church from above. For many more photos of the exterior and interior, please see our Saint-Nectaire Photo Gallery.
Exterior view of Saint-Nectaire from northeast.
The harmonious chevet, with mosaic decoration on the apse.
Detail of inlaid star designs on the apse.
Transept looking north, with arches representing the Trinity.
The choir, with celebrated Romanesque capitals.
The Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes.
The Betrayal of Judas and Arrest of Christ.
Christ carries his cross on the way to Calvary.
Doubting Thomas touches Christ's wounds.
Scene from the life of St. Nectaire, with his church in the background.
Dominating the small village of St-Nectaire-le-Haut in the Auvergne region of southern France, Saint-Nectaire Church dates from the 12th century. It contains a fine set of Romanesque capitals and a treasury of medieval art.
History
The hill on which the church stands, Mont-Cornadore, was settled in prehistoric times and later colonized by the Romans, who built public baths in the town. St-Nectaire-le-Bas, the lower part of the town, is still home to a popular spa.
The church is named for St. Nectaire, a missionary who is said to have arrived in the Auvergne with St. Austremoine in the fourth century. There is little record of this early period of history, but it seems Nectaire's relics attracted pilgrims and a church was built here at an early date.
What is better know is that in the mid-12th century, Guillaume VII, Count of Auvergne, donated this land to the monks of La Chaise-Dieu, a nearby Benedictine monastery. The monks built a priory here, including the present church, shortly thereafter.
Sadly, the Church of St. Nectaire was badly damaged during the French Revolution and its restoration in the 19th century was not entirely faithful to the original. Nevertheless, much of the original architecture and art remains intact. Significant restoration work was undertaken in the nave in 2008.
What to See
Located on high ground and surrounded by lush forests, the stately church of Saint-Nectaire towers over the small village of St-Nectaire-le-Haut. Its situation is somewhat less attractive from close-up, as it is now surrounded by a small lawn and paved parking lot.
The church is constructed of local trachyte stone in various shades of grey, arranged in attractive patterns. On the apse, the stone is cut into a fine inlaid pattern of stars inside circles. Similar decorations can be seen on each end of the transept.
The church's highest point is the octagonal crossing tower, topped with a pyramid-shaped roof. This dates from the 19th century, as do the twin square towers on the west facade. From the east, there is a fine view of the flat "lantern" transept, the semicircular apse with inlaid stars, three radiating chapels, and an apsidal chapel on each transept arm. Overall, it is a striking and impressive sight.
The interior is an attractive space with many details of interest. The nave is supported by round columns with carved capitals, some retaining traces of original paint. Among the subjects depicted on the capitals are the Temptation of Christ; Moses being saved from crocodile-infested water by Pharaoh's daugher; a donkey playing a lyre and a man riding a goat; and St. Baudime slaying a wild bear.
At the back of the nave is the original narthex, the only one to survive in the region, which has a tall upper gallery. The end walls of each transept have an unusual feature: a triangular arch between two rounded arches, representing the Trinity.
St. Nectaire houses an excellent treasury of medieval religious art, which includes the following objects:
- gilded copper bust of St. Baudime, a companion of St. Nectaire (12th century);
- Virgin and Child statue of painted wood in the Auvergne style (12th century);
- two gold binding plates with Limoges enamel (12th century); and
- silver reliquary arm of St. Nectaire (15th century).
The artistic highlight of the interior for most, however, is the set of six capitals in the choir. Dating from the 12th century like the rest of the church, they are richly carved with biblical and legendary scenes in a charmingly naive style. Much of the original paint remains. Their subjects are as follows:
- Transfiguration of Christ; Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes; and a somewhat mysterious scene: a man identified as Ranulfo is holding onto a column while being pulled in different directions by an angel and a devil. Ranulfo may be a founder or donor of the church and the scene probably represents the struggle between good and evil.
- Arrest of Christ; Road to Calvary; Doubting Thomas
- Harrowing of Hell and the Empty Tomb
- Horseman of the Apocalypse
- Last Judgment
- Miracles of St. Nectaire, including a depiction of St-Nectaire Church, surrounded by a wall that protected it from barbarian raids in the 9th and 10th centuries.
There are more capitals on the engaged columns of the ambulatory, most of which depict monsters and hybrid creatures among foliage. There is also a miser being tortured by demons; shepherds carrying lambs; and, on the north side, Zachaeus climbing a tree to hear Jesus.
Quick Facts
| Site Information | |
| Names: | Saint-Nectaire Church |
| Location: | Saint-Nectaire, Auvergne, France |
| Faith: | Christianity |
| Denomination: | Catholic |
| Order: | Benedictine |
| Dedication: | St. Nectaire |
| Category: | Churches |
| Architecture: | Romanesque |
| Date: | mid-12th century |
| Features: | Romanesque Sculpture |
| Status: | active |
| Photo gallery: | Saint-Nectaire Church Photo Gallery (for viewing) |
| Stock photos: | Saint-Nectaire Church Stock Photos (for licensing) |
| Visitor Information | |
| Address: | Saint-Nectaire 63710, France |
| Coordinates: | 45.588258° N, 2.992294° E (view on Google Maps) |
| Lodging: | View hotels near this location |
| Public transport: | No public transportation |
| Parking: | Free parking available next to the church. |
Location Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of Saint-Nectaire Church. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our France Map.
Article Sources
- Personal visit (June 13, 2008).
- Peter Strafford, Romanesque Churches of France: A Traveller's Guide
(London: Giles de la Mare, 2005), 192-94.
Last updated on July 30, 2010.
